In order for policing to be a shared endeavor between communities and police, the public needs access to the police department’s manual—the document that sets policies and actions. Being able to read and compare departmental policies is essential to evaluate how your community is being policed.

We reviewed the manuals of police departments in the largest 200 U.S. cities and found very few present their policies in a way that is truly accessible and transparent.

 
Key Finding #1: Of the 200 cities in our survey, more than half do not post their police manual online at all.
51% Not posted online

Notably, we found this lapse was not limited to smaller cities (which often have smaller staff size and smaller budgets for their police departments). Several major U.S. cities, including Houston, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Memphis, and Jacksonville also do not have their policing manuals posted online.

 

Key Finding #2: Of the manuals posted online, 79% aren’t fully transparent.


Among the 99 cities that posted their manuals online, only 21 met our standard for full transparency.

79% Not fully transparent

What do we mean by full transparency? We evaluated the manuals posted online for six core components we believe are needed to ensure the public can access and understand the manual:

 
1. The policy manual is hosted on the official website of the police department or city government.
2. The manual is posted in its entirety.
3. It is possible to search across the entire manual.
4. The manual has a clear navigational framework.
5. All policies are dated, especially as to their most recent revision.
6. The manual text is machine-encoded.
Key Finding #4: These criteria are just the basics.

We consider the six criteria we identified above to be the minimum every city should achieve when it comes to its police manual. However, key issues remain even with many of the manuals that met all of our six core criteria—from slow loading times to confusing, jargon-laden language.

For cities that aspire to take their manuals beyond the basics, we offer a guide to get you started.
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1. The policy manual is hosted on the official website of the police department or city government.

Why it matters: Accessing the manual through an official, direct source—as opposed to a secondary source, like a news outlet’s FOIA—assures the public the information is legitimate, accurate and up to date.

2. The manual is posted in its entirety.

Why it matters: If whole policies or even sections have been omitted, it creates the impression something is being hidden, and limits public knowledge of police policies. If information must be withheld for good reason, redaction should be used sparingly.

3. It is possible to search across the entire manual.

Why it matters: The online manual must include a function that allows users to search for keywords (i.e. “use of force” or “canine”) across multiple policies, simultaneously. Otherwise, it can be impossible to find all the relevant information.

4. The manual has a clear navigational framework.

Why it matters: Clear and consistent navigation serves two very important purposes: it gives an overview of the manual's contents and allows the reader to go directly to a specific section of interest, both of which improve clarity and ease of use. A hyperlinked table of contents is a common example of such a framework.

5. All policies are dated, especially as to their most recent revision

Why it matters: This tells the public it has the most recent version. Not every policy needs updating, but very old policies may indicate a need for review.

6. The manual text is machine-encoded.

Why it matters: Machine-encoded text is essential for screen-readers and web-browser translation services (such as Google Translate) to function. This basic feature improves access for all members of the public, regardless of English-language ability or visual impairment.
Which cities have the most transparent manuals?

The following cities met all six criteria in our survey:
• Chicago, IL
• San Jose, CA
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC
• Seattle, WA
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Louisville, KY
• Tucson, AZ
• Fresno, CA
• Minneapolis, MN
• Tulsa, OK
• Tampa, FL
• New Orleans, LA
• Henderson, NV
• Greensboro, NC
• Anchorage, AK
• Durham, NC
• Chandler, AZ
• Fayetteville, NC
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Hayward, CA
• West Valley City, UT